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<title>The Great Beyond Deleted Scenes: the Tale of Elwood (Act II) by ElsieGlass</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23109277">The Great Beyond Deleted Scenes: the Tale of Elwood (Act II)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElsieGlass/pseuds/ElsieGlass'>ElsieGlass</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bonding, Coming of Age, Dystopian, Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Post-Apocalypse, Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:15:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,662</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23109277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElsieGlass/pseuds/ElsieGlass</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This scene was deleted from Chapter Eight of Act II (Big Drift) of The Great Beyond series.</p>
<p>On the way back to their campsite, Joel and Ellie pass a pasture of frolicking fox pups. Ellie wants to adopt one and Joel says no. He notices her downcast mood and tells her a story to cheer her up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellie &amp; Joel (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Great Beyond Deleted Scenes: the Tale of Elwood (Act II)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was a deleted scene from <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22336039/chapters/53459467">Chapter Eight of Act II (Big Drift)</a> of <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589026">The Great Beyond</a> series, my long-fic based on The Last of Us video game (2013) by the game development studio, Naughty Dog, a Bruce Straley/Neil Druckmann joint.</p>
<p>The Great Beyond is a work of fan fiction based on The Last of Us video game (2013) by the game development studio, Naughty Dog, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Additional names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.</p>
<p>While this story makes reference to actual events and people, certain characters, characterizations, incidents, locations, and dialogue were fictionalized or invented for purposes of dramatization. With respect to such fictionalization of invention, any similarity to the name or to the actual character or history of any person, living or dead, or any product or entity or actual incident is entirely for dramatic purposes and not intended to reflect on any actual character, history, product, or entity.</p>
<p>I support the inalienable right to free expression and the inherent value of copyright. I hope my work encourages and inspires writers everywhere to create and make their own works that greatly enrich their lives and the fan fic culture.</p>
<p>Copyright (c) 2020 by Elsie Glass.</p>
<p>All rights reserved. </p>
<p>ElsieGlassGlass@gmail.com</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ElsieGlass20">Twitter @ElsieGlass20</a><br/><a href="https://www.instagram.com/realelsieglass/">Insta @realelsieglass</a> </p>
<p>Happy reading! Xo</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075489">You can find Act I of The Great Beyond here.</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22336039">You can find Act II of The Great Beyond here.</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22564579">You can find Act III of The Great Beyond here.</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Great Beyond Deleted Scenes: the Tale of Elwood</p>
<p>From Chapter Eight of Act II of The Great Beyond Series</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We head back to the quarry on a narrow road winding through thistle fields and come to a pasture with a bunch of frolicking fox pups. They box, run, and bark like puppies. I can’t take my eyes off them. Their joy and innocence makes me feel light as a feather. They notice us and stop playing, tracking us with curious eyes. I take an apple from my pack, bite-off little pieces, and toss them into the field. As we continue down the road, I look back and see them examining the pieces of apple and playfully fighting over them.</p>
<p>This might be one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen in my life. I want one so bad, I have to stop myself from whining. A sweet little fox cub. I’d make him a little harness out of rawhide and take him for walks. When his little foxy legs got too tired to walk, I’d tuck him under my arm. I’d bathe him and play tag with him. I’d cook him pancakes and stuff him till he couldn’t move. I’d always have someone to talk to and I’d curl up with him at night in front of the fire. I already know the answer will be N-O, but I feel compelled to ask Joel if we can have one, so I jog to his side. “Joel? We need one.”</p>
<p>“One what?” he asks.</p>
<p>“One of those little cubs.”</p>
<p>“You’re gonna be mighty disappointed if you think I’m gonna say yes, Ellie.”</p>
<p>“Please?” I beg.</p>
<p>“No pets. Pets can’t concern us. Pets are extravagant. One day, he’ll get to acting reckless and you’ll have to finish the deal yourself. You know how things go out here.”</p>
<p>He actually said this. He actually said I’d have to kill my own pet. I suppose he’s right. It would only be sensible. I think of all the people who had to kill or sell their pets and it makes me very sad.</p>
<p>“It’s not right to take wild animals outta their natural environments and make pets outta them,” he says. “Something always happens, sooner or later.”</p>
<p>“But they're the cutest things I’ve ever seen!”</p>
<p>“I ain’t running a pet store. And even if I was, I wouldn’t be selling pet foxes.”</p>
<p>“Please?” I beg.</p>
<p>“Unless I can skin it and cook it in a pot, or fry it in a pan, pets have no use here! Let it go begging in the woods.”</p>
<p>What a stupid world to live in. Never allowed to have a soft sweet cuddly warm pet to love with your whole heart and feel its unconditional love back at you.</p>
<p>“Did I ever tell you the story of Elwood?” he asks.</p>
<p>“I don’t remember.” This pleases me. He never offers to tell me a story unless I beg him for one. He must sense my heaviness and sadness, and wants to cheer me up.</p>
<p>“I once knew a man by the name of Elwood,” he says.</p>
<p>“In Texas Territory?” I ask.</p>
<p>“In Texas Territory. Elwood was an expert fly fisherman. Freshwater and saltwater. Every spring, he’d launch his skiff on a nice little stretch along the Lower Laguna Madre, between the Gulf Coast and South Padre Island where the fish ran hard and fast. He was at his best with Gulf Coast redfish. They called them Reds ‘cause of their beautiful shade of coppery red. Word went ‘round that Elwood caught himself a ten-pounder, but instead of throwing it back, he brought it home. Not to cook-up, but to keep as a pet, in a big tank in his living room. He named him Red.</p>
<p>“Elwood took real good care of Red and he thrived, but his water and sand had to be changed almost every day. Not only that, but Elwood had to trawl for crabs and shrimp every couple days to keep him fed. By and by, he realized he was spending all of his free time taking care of Red. He hadn't realized how much work went into keeping him happy so he figured he could teach him how to live out of the water, so he started taking him out of his tank a couple minutes a day and putting him into the tub with a little bit of water. By and by, he moved him to the wet grass. He left him there a couple times a day, each time a little bit longer, till he could stay overnight. Soon enough, Red could live in the grass, in the shade, even if it wasn't wet. It got to the point where Red could pretty much live in any condition, even under the hot sun. Elwood taught him a whole bunch of commands like a dog. You’d see the two of them strolling along, Red trailing behind him, flopping along on the pavement—”</p>
<p>“Hold up," I say, interrupting him. "Is this a real story?” I can’t imagine anything like this actually happening. A fish flopping around on the ground behind his master. I mean, a lot of weird stuff happened in the Old World and who knows what the hell went on in Texas Territory. They had robots, aliens, and superheroes, and now I suppose fish that could live out of the water that you could train like dogs.</p>
<p>“You wanna hear the rest of story or not?” he asks.</p>
<p>“Yeah!”</p>
<p>“Then hush your mouth and lemme finish!”</p>
<p>I go quiet and let him to continue.</p>
<p>“Folks would stop Elwood on the street and offer him a fortune for Red. He always said no ‘cause he grew to love Red like his own family. One day, on one of their walks, they crossed a bridge running over a stream. One of the planks was missing and Red fell straight through. Elwood didn’t notice till a couple minutes later when looked back and saw he wasn’t there. He called out to him and waited for him to come but he never came. He retraced his steps, looking high and low. When he got to the bridge, he noticed the missing plank. He looked down into the stream and sure enough, there was Red, floating belly-up in the water. He’d fallen through and drowned.”</p>
<p>What a terrible story! How on earth did he think it'd cheer me up?</p>
<p>“Now do you understand why a pet wouldn’t do?” he asks.</p>
<p>I don’t respond. All I can think about is poor Elwood losing his best friend and I feel like crying.</p>
<p>“It’s not right to take wild animals outta their native environments and make pets outta them,” he says. “Something always happens, sooner or later.”</p>
<p>“But I don’t want a fish,” I say. “I want a fox!”</p>
<p>“No pets. Pets can’t concern us. Pets are extravagant. One day, he’ll get to acting reckless and you’ll have to finish the deal yourself. You know how things go out here.”</p>
<p>He actually said this. He actually said I’d have to kill my own pet. I suppose he’s right. It would only be sensible. I think of all the people who had to kill or sell their pets and it makes me very sad.</p>
<p>“It’s not right to take wild animals outta their natural environments and make pets outta them,” he says. “Something always happens, sooner or later.”</p>
<p>“But they're the cutest things I’ve ever seen!”</p>
<p>“I ain’t running a pet store. And even if I was, I wouldn’t be selling pet foxes.”</p>
<p>“Please?” I beg.</p>
<p>“Unless I can skin it and cook it in a pot, or fry it in a pan, pets have no use here! Let it go begging in the woods.”</p>
<p>Just as I start pitying myself, we pass a backstop full of missing persons notices. You find these papers everywhere—sun-bleached and bled-out in bad weather, scrawled with loving pleas, ultimatums, and prayers, some even written in blood from knife-pricked fingertips. The first time I read them, I felt guilty, like I was reading a private letter intended for someone else, but now I read them compulsively. I memorize the details and make-up little stories about them.</p>
<p>I pull one from the backstop, written in shaky handwriting. Someone who was probably old and sick.</p>
<p>
  <em>Looking for Paul Kenneth Sturgis from Valentine, Nebraska Territory. Missing since spring, 20 and 32. Paul, come home. Your home is here. You’re needed here. It’s been a year since we last saw you and we reckoned you weren’t far behind. I’m getting old, Paul. Whatever you’re doing and wherever you are, drop it and make it here by winter. We need you here. Reckon there’s plenty of reasons but I’ll wait to tell you in person. Don’t let anything keep you. With love from your dad.</em>
</p>
<p>I wonder what’d happen if one day while I was looking, I found a note left for me. Left by someone who was looking for me. Could you imagine being so important to someone and so loved by someone, they’d leave you a note? What if Joel and I got separated? Would he leave me one?</p>
<p>“Come along now!” he yells, noticing I’ve fallen behind. “Stop dawdling!”</p>
<p>I jog to his side. “Think there’re any families still together?” I ask.</p>
<p>“Even if there’s sons left to swear their fathers' vengeance, there’s no graves to swear it on. Not a single patch of earth hasn’t felt the misery of displacement. Not a single corner of this earth’s had that privilege.”</p>
<p>“What if we get separated?”</p>
<p>“Not gonna happen,” he says. “Nothing’s gonna separate us. Not now, not ever.”</p>
<p>“But what if?”</p>
<p>He grabs my arm and stumbles us to a halt. He needs to tell me something. I see it weighing heavily in his eyes. “Don’t you be leaving me no notes," he says. "No matter what, I’ll find you. Don’t you worry about it. I’ll always find you.”</p>
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